Pizza Margherita! (CONTEST IS CLOSED)
Today Artisan Pizza and Flatbread in Five Minutes a Day
was published! Time to start baking from it, so I’m posting one of our favorite doughs from the book. I have to admit it took a while to decide which one to share, since our favorite seems to change with our moods. This Olive Oil Dough is fantastic for a thin crust, a thick crust and so many worldly flatbreads. No matter the technique you decide to try, you’ll love the results.
I like to make the classic Pizza Margherita, it’s the ultimate in Italian toppings. In fact, the colors resemble the Italian flag and the pizza was named for the Italian queen, Margherita, because she fell in love with it. Nothing but tomato, mozzarella, fresh basil and a drizzle of olive oil. So pure and so tasty.
Pizza Margherita
Olive Oil Dough from Artisan Pizza and Flatbread in Five Minutes a Day:
3 1/4 cups lukewarm water
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon Yeast
1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons Kosher salt
2 tablespoons sugar
7 1/2 cups (scoop and sweep) unbleached all-purpose flour
Toppings:
1/3 cup tomato (Sauce recipe p. 109 or drain diced tomato straight from the can)
3 ounces Fresh Mozzarella, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
Fresh Basil
Olive oil for drizzling over the top before baking
Pinch of salt
Flour, cornmeal or parchment for the pizza peel
To make the dough: Use our dump and stir method of mixing the dough in a 5-quart Container with Lid, using a Danish Dough Whisk or wooden spoon. Then cover the container, not airtight and let it rest for about 2 hours on the counter. The dough can then be used right away, but it is much easier to handle once it has been thoroughly chilled. The dough can be stored in the refrigerator for 2 weeks!
To make the pizza:
Preheat your oven to the highest setting, which will be 500 to 550°F, with a pizza stone in the bottom 1/3 of the oven. Depending on the thickness of your stone this can take between 20 and 40 minutes.
Pull out an 8-ounce piece of dough from your bucket and quickly form it into a ball, no more than 30 seconds of work. Let it sit on the counter while you gather your toppings.
Roll the ball out into a 1/8-inch-thick round. If the ball is resisting just let it sit for about 5 minutes and it will relax and allow you to work with it.
Sprinkle a Pizza Peel with flour. Spread the tomato over the dough.
Place the chunks of cheese over the sauce and drizzle with the olive oil.
Check for doneness in about 8 to 10 minutes, turn the pizza around if it seems to be browning on one side more than the other. It may take up to 5 more minutes.
Let the pizza cool slightly, so the cheese can set a little before cutting with a Pizza Cutter. This is best done on a cooling rack if you want to keep a crisp bottom crust.
Using the freezer to save even more time
You can freeze my doughs anytime during their batch life, for up to two weeks. Make half-pound (orange-size) balls and wrap them well before freezing. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and then use as usual. With the assistance of your freezer, there are three more ways to save even more time:
- To freeze prepared 1/8-inch thick dough disks, set up cookie sheets with parchment paper and freeze prepared dough disks on the parchment. As soon as they’re set (about 30 to 40 minutes), stack them, leaving parchment paper between disks. Pack into gallon-size ziplock bags, then freeze and use within three weeks. Bake them still frozen by placing, un-thawed, on a greased baking sheet, assembling the pizza, and then baking in a preheated oven. If you bake right on the parchment you can place it directly onto a preheated baking stone.
- To freeze a pre-baked pizza crust: Bake the crusts “blind”, docking (puncturing) them well with a fork, removing them from the oven when they just begin to brown (about four minutes). Check for puffing at one minute and dock again if you see any or you’ll end up with pita bread. Allow to cool on a rack before separating crusts with parchment or wax paper and freezing in a ziplock bag. These will be far superior to store-bought pre-baked pizza crusts, just as convenient, and a little quicker-baking than using unbaked frozen dough (see above). You can bake them frozen or defrosted (when using frozen crusts it will take a few more minutes to complete the baking).
- To freeze a pre-baked pizza: Bake a pizza as usual, and allow it to cool completely. Freeze in a heavy-duty freezer bag, preferably zip-lock. When ready to use, remove from bag, and place on a preheated baking stone for about 10 minutes (watch carefully to prevent scorching and consider lower baking temperature if you’re finding the pizza dry). While this method won’t be quite as impressive as the other methods on this list, it’s clearly the fastest.
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I’ve got the UK version of the book on pre-order at Amazon UK – will it use metric weights, like the UK version of the original book or will it be using volumes, like in this recipe?
Stephen: This book has no UK version as of yet, and no one is offering to publish one. The pizza book has only a US version, but there are metric weights in there for the doughs.
I’m so happy this is finally out!
My favorite pizza is a thick crust with garlic sauce, artichoke hearts, caramelized onions, and goat cheese. Yum!
vegie pizza with onions, peppers, garlic, mushrooms, and olives. all topped with gooey, gooey cheese!
My favorite pizza was Roma’s on Ave U in Brooklyn. I guess it was just regular garden variety sausage and mushroom, but it was the way my uncle would carry it home and serve it with a flourish.
I had the most amazing pizza in Switzerland. It was topped with arugula and mascarpone cheese…mmmm, amazing! Definitely my favorite pizza.
I just recently tried pizza margherita and oh my goodness that’s some good pizza. I also like potato leek pizza. I would love to win this giveaway!
Favorite pizza? What an impossible question! But the picture of you two with pizza dough flying is terrific!
my favorite pizza has mushrooms, olives, spinach, and artichokes. i prefer pizza without sauce.
My favorite pizza is made from the semolina dough from ABin5, topped with
garlic flavored olive oil, mozzarella and ricotta cheese, and diced onions. Yum!
I make it all the time.
I cannot wait to try all the new pizzas in your new book. Thank you again for all your great work!
I love a stuffed crust with everything in the kitchen on it except the sink. OR Anchovies. Extra cheeses (whatever types we have), L O T S of tomatoes, any and all veggies handy, whatever meat is available, just the more the better. Can’t wait till I can get some of your books. Thanks guys!
I like any pizza can’t really pick just one favorite. I do love putting some cornmeal in the crust because of the nice crunch it adds
Thanks for posting this recipe!! I rediscovered pizza margherita earlier this year, and it’s definitely my favorite. I like to make it from scratch, and I don’t mind splurging on organic fresh mozzarella. I use the whole wheat bread dough with olive oil from HBin5.
I think my favorite is apples and blue cheese, maybe with some bacon. Typically I use light whole wheat dough, but I am excited to try some new ones soon.
My favorite pizza is a breakfast pizza – we make it with homemade sauce and dough, topped with mozzarella, crispy crumbled bacon, scallions, and then topped with a egg cooked so it is still runny sooo good. And with a little tobasco mmmm
I like white pizza with black olives, Yum!
I could happily eat pizza everyday. But if I had to choose a favorite, Margherita. How can you go wrong? Simplicity at it’s best.
I can’t wait to get my hands on your pizza book! My husband is really going to be tired of eating it by the time I work my way through it! Now I just need a proper pizza stone. . . .
I never met a pizza I didn’t like. I adore pizza with olives and anything else.
My new favorite pizza: Lasagna Pizza!! Ricotta, sausage and mini meatballs. Yumm! Oh, and the Nutella calzone for dessert was awesome. Double Yumm. Congrats on the new book.
Preordered and anxiously awaiting. Can’t wait to try out.
I just recently (as in last week) came across the
Original recipe in a book called the kitchen counter cooking school. I have drooled over the cover of your book Everytime I was in BN but thought I wouldn’t be able to tackle the recipe. Then… I read about it in the book I mentioned and was so compelled to try it. I am on my second batch in less than a week. My kids will wake to fresh bread. We love to make our own pizza’s. Everyone can top their own! My fave… Caramalized onion and sausage ( I prefer sweet turkey and maybe a tich of regular thrown in too). My book is on order( the first) had a tuff time finding it. Would love a copy of the new one too
I usually put bell pepper, mushrooms, olives and salami or pepperoni on my homemade pizzas. Looking forward to using your crust recipe with this combo!
I love a pizza with black olives and onions, peppers and tomatoes and lots of cheese on a thin crust!!
I’m in love with chicken alfredo pizza right now! 🙂
I am very excited about your book!!! I love so many types of pizza it’s hard to pick one but I would have to say the most unusual that I love is covered with arugula and two eggs cracked on top.
This looks fabulous! Margherita or a good mix of summer veggies and balsamic reduction are my favorite “fancy” pizzas.
We had a great pizza summer. Out our back door I grew basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary and tomatoes. In the same area ther is an old rusty 2-sided charcoal BBQ grill. We placed a pizza stone on one side and stoked up charcoal on the other. While preheating, we were back in the kitchen prepare the dough to be transferred–we heard a very loud pop!!!! When went to the grill–the pizza stone had exploded :(…yikes—we had pizza to grill. We push the stone together the best we could and continued on. Hmmm, fresh dough, herbs, veggies and local cheeses..difinitely not pretty pizzas…but the aroma and taste….oh my … it was our best grilling season so far and we cant eat pizza anywhere else.
We love having dough in the fridge for an easy Friday night pizza and cheesy bread party.
What makes it our favorite pizza is that each person can have such individually decorated slices and the kids can help! (Some combo of black olives, mushrooms, cheese, and pepperoni is popular now.)
Congratulations on the new book!
Can’t wait to try them all!
I’m so excited for your new book. I love margherita pizza with lots of fresh basil!
I love thick crust with andouille sausage, garlic, basil and artichoke hearts!
Thanks for making my mouth water.
My favorite pizza is spinach artichoke with grilled chicken.
I love any pizza with prosciutto!
My favorite is the classic margherita! (Homemade is best, but I’ll take it however I can get it). My sister-in-law even nicknamed me “Emily Margherita.” :o)
I love pizza with pesto, artichokes, black olives, feta and banana peppers or a sprinkles of red pepper flakes. Salami is great on this if you must have a bit of meat. 🙂
i LOVE GRILLED PIZZA WITH SAUSAGE AND OLIVES AND PEPPERS. BUT PIZZA IN GENERAL IS MY FAV, WE EAT AT LEAST ONCE A WEEK!!!
Pizza bianca with clams and garlic!
LOVE the Olive Oil dough. Use it for so many things. Our family’s favorite pizza is sausage, peppers and onions. We have it often.
My favorite pizza is Margherita or one with caramelized onions, gouda and prosciutto!
That pizza looks so yummy! My absolute favorite has to be just plain old cheese and mushrooms. Yum!
My favorite pizza is a veggie pizza.
My favorite pizza is definitely alfredo sauce, canadian bacon, grilled chicken and olives. I can almost taste it as I type this!
Pizza Margherita with thin crust and an egg (baked on top at the last minute) baked in my grandmother’s outdoor coal pizza oven. Thank you for another great post!
I tried this in one of the upscale pizza places here in Texas. Then I tried to mimic at home…and it was terrific!!! My mouth still waters everytime I think about it.
I just take your normal olive oil dough from your first book. Then I roll the dough into as thin round as possible for a pizza. I top it with store bought pasta sauce….just a thin layer. This is where the fun begins!
I take the corn (defrost it) and saute it in oil on high heat with salt and pepper, enough for it to acquire grilled taste. Next I thinly slice jalapeno peppers and red onions. Sprinkle a bit of salt on them as well. Then spread these toppings on the pizza (You can adjust toppings to be less or more!) and layer shredded pizza cheese on top. Then bake it in the oven at 450-500 degress of 10-15 minutes.
Its simply awesome and has killer taste!
Tip: If you do want to cut some heat, take the seeds and membrane out of the jalapenos and then cut them into thin slices.
Fav pizza by far is the simple Margharita, crispy crust wit lots of mozzarella and basil!! thanks so much for this tutorial, LOVE!
Jennifer Post
noblekatt(at) hotmail.com
My favorite pizza is mozzarella, pepperoni, olives, marinated artichoke hearts, bacon, tomatoes and mushrooms cooked on a pizza stone on my Barbeque.
THANK YOU so much for your 5 minute bread recipes! I am NOT a bread maker by any means. I fail at every type of baking unless it’s Totino’s pizza rolls. Your 5 minute bread recipes have helped turn me into a bread making fool! One day, I made 4 batches of the dough and baked ALL of it. I made 2 lb loaves, 1 pound loaves, and all kinds of smaller sample size “loaves”. They were all beautiful and they were all gone by the end of the night’s party to which I took them to share my new “talent”. I have never had Margherita pizza – why? I have no idea – I LOVE mozzerella and basil together. Why not add tomato and bread? Um, hello…makes total sense! I would love to win! Thanks again!
My favorite pizza? Italian sausage, mushrooms, and red peppers. (And maybe a little garlic that I sneak in…) It’s best when the dough and the sauce are homemade!
Love your Five Minutes a Day Books! My favorite pizza is fresh tomato, fresh mozarella, a little red onion, parmesan and basi from the garden.
My FAV pizza is Imo’s thin crust, pepperoncini and bacon with Provel cheese. YUM….Imo’s is a St. Louis tradition!! GO CARDS!!!!
The recipe looks amazing. I can taste it now! I love a pizza that’s piled high with veggies, but I’m not too picky. I like pepperoni with green olives (and a good beer.) I also enjoy taco pizza and Hawaiian. You’re making me hungry!